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President Barack Obama has promised justice for whoever detonated as many as three bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, wounding 144 people and killing three, including an 8-year-old boy waiting for his father at the finish line.

In his first press conference after the three blasts, he stopped short of calling the blasts terrorism. Instead, he chose to ask Americans to “say a prayer for Boston tonight” and promised “the full weight of justice” for the perpetrators. “We still do not know who did this or why.

And people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. But make no mistake - we will get to the bottom of this,” he said from the White House Press Room. “And we will find out who did this; we’ll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”

The FBI and Homeland Security are working with Boston authorities to find evidence, including footage from personal cameras and cell phones. At press time Tuesday, the names of two of the deceased had not been officially released. The 8-year-old’s name is reportedly Martin Richard, whose parents were also injured. Seventeen of the 144 injuries were reportedly critical. The bombs that exploded at the finish line of the marathon were reportedly homemade. Several other devices were found unexploded. The FBI is asking anyone with information about the bombing to call 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324).

As usual in crisis such as this, stories of heroism and people helping each other – even complete strangers – had started to emerge. President Obama said he had spoken to congressional leaders and even politics are out the window.

“I’ve updated leaders of Congress in both parties, and we reaffirmed that on days like this there are no Republicans or Democrats - we are Americans, united in concern for our fellow citizens.”